*Last night I made way down to the opening of a new boutique called Shane & Shawn…
…a men and women’s shoe store located at 238 Mulberry Street.
I pushed my way into the jampacked space… …and was blown away by the hot stiletto’s and flats… …aside from being super cute and sassy, I checked the prices…and at $200 they tread the line between exorbitant and affordable.
I quickly made friends with resident celebrity DJ’s Nina Sky… …they were so cute sporting Armani and private label dresses! Of course I had to snap a pic for you guys… …And yes I am wearing my red leather motorcycle jacket! See, I practice what I preach!
Anyway, if you’re ever in NYC, check out Shane & Shawn at 238 Mulberry between Prince & Spring. Tell ’em I sent ya!
*Thanks Mindy and Genevieve!
*Check out more Shane & Shawn party pictures at the Men’s Style Blog Haute Concept. [Haute Concept]
*Fashion Bomb friend and fellow blogger Najwa Moses of the website Styleaholics.com has also come out with some Swag of her own:
…100% leather, eclectic, hot and colorful earrings she calls “Salte.” Priced from $25 and up, you can get your urban chic on for a steal! Check her out at the Styleaholics Shop.
So I don’t know how the weather is in your neck of the woods, but it’s certainly a hair above chilly here in NYC! I’ve been trying, futilely, to wear my trench coat, but this brisk weather calls for something a little more hefty even though it’s officially spring. A great in between outerwear piece is a leather jacket: it’s light enough to peel off if the sun peeks out, yet warm enough for morning chills. Bonus: you can take it out again for transitional weather in the fall. Celebs already know the deal: Newlywed Beyonce wears a traditional black leather jacket out with her hubby… Erykah Badu and Keyshia Cole also go for black, but spice it up with quilted panels… And Alicia Keys and Rihanna punch up the style in tobacco and red leather options… …with stunning results.
Guys almost exclusively rock the leather look when out and about: Best man Jay-Z also goes for black, but with a twist… John Legend and Andre Benjamin favor brown jackets with aviator elements… And of course style czar Kanye West pops on a jacket that strikes a balance… …in neutral grey with an edgy silhouette. Alexis looks pleased!
Hey My Damies!
So believe it or not it took me all weekend to recover from the excitement of the Murakami Gala opening! It was absolutely amazing to meet and mingle with the fashionable set right in my backyard. I was *thrilled*. I didn’t get much time to go out and capture Real Style, but you guys always come through! Today, check out Shariba from Silver Spring, Maryland…
She says, “Here’s an example of my personal style. Please tell me what you think honestly!!“
I love the shirtdress mixed with your designer clutch, and your bold white boots are quite the chic choice. The dark sunglasses only amplify your outfit. Two snaps!
What do y’all think?
Smootches!
Fashion, News, and What Nots
*A lot of you were like, “Claire how was the rest of the Murakami event? Did you go to the exhibit?” Yes, of course, aside from chatting with Marc Jacobs, I took a twirl around the exhibit itself!
The night started off with a press junket, and the backyard of the museum was set to look like typical Chinatown street stalls selling fake Louis V bags… …while the bags were made to look fake, everyone working there insisted they were real. Honestly, at first glance, I couldn’t tell the difference!As we’ve discussed, I’m no stranger to China, Chinatown, or fakes (though I’ve reformed!), but when I first took a look around, I said to myself, “If you can get a great looking fake, why shell out the dough???” Chairman and chief executive of Louis Vutton Yves Carcelle spoke a bit about the display… …he talked about the importance of protecting intellectual property. To be honest, I sympathize. Once you’re in the creative realm and start working hard to maintain a product, it really sucks when someone comes around and straight up steals your work, words, or designs. Can you imagine if someone launched a site called “The Fashion Explosion” and basically did the same thing I did?!? Or reproduced my posts (it’s happened before).  It’s infuriating! But then again, if I were loony enough to charge y’all $1,000 to log on, wouldn’t I be asking to get ‘knocked off?’
The debate rages on.
Moving to the exhibit… …it’s pretty dope. Â Not sure if you know this, but Murakami designed Kanye West’s album cover… ..and a lot of his artistry reflects the same kind of space age, cartoon feel, but with a funny edge: …lots of emphasis on eyes, mushrooms, and flowers, all painted in almost psychadelic pastel colors. It’s grown up art for the kids at heart. A must see! Check out more pictures (including my dress!) on the Fashion Bomb’s Facebook group. And join if ya haven’t already! If you have extra click time, also become a fan of the Fashion Bomb’s less maintained facebook fansite🙂
*Reminisce on my post about fake bags. Hilarity indeed!
Um, last night was action packed. So packed, in fact, that I’ll have to cut Mail Bombs short and tell y’all about my BOMB night. First, however, is Friday Mail…
…Let’s do it to it!
First up, reader Britt says, “I love this dress, but I’m short…“ “…Could you help me find a dress similar to this in a shorter style??“
I did a quick search and felt this $471 Fendi Pleat Front Mini Dress could fit the bill… …the color and length are on point. I think you could work it if you just pull the straps down a bit. Get this Kebede worthy runway look at www.net-a-porter.com.
Next, reader Bee says, “I was wondering if you could help me get the same look as Naomi in the new Pinko ad…” “I love the look, and shape of the dress. I don’t necessarily want the same colours…Thanks.”
Hey! I stumbled up on this Boudoir Strapless Fringe Dress… … I think it works! Get it for $230 at www.blaec.com.
Lea from Atlanta says, “Ananda Lewis wore this fantastic, white cotton, lace-up front tunic with sequins on the Keyshia Cole Reunion Show...” “.. .This top is perfect for my upcoming 10-day trip to the Caribbean. Can you please help me find this?“
Ananda’s exact top was hard to find, but I felt this Tory Burch Stone Embellished Tunic came close……it’s cute but quite the splurge at $470. Get it at www.revolveclothing.com.
Next, a reader who calls herself Simply Me fell in love with Kelis’ vest pictured here: She says, “I wanted to know where I could find this top or something similar. Since I’m young I also wanted to know what I could wear with it to fit my age.“
Wow, Fashion Bomb Friend Kesh parties with Kelis? Cool! Anyway, since Kelis is wearing a wool vest ( a winter item), it’s hard to find the exact product amongst spring’s offerings. I did, however find this very age appropriate $20 sweater vest at Delias.com… For a young person like yourself, I’d say you can wear it with a pair of skinny jeans and boots. If you want to sauce it up (as I once did back in the day), you can wear it with a black skirt with or without tights.
So last night I made my way to the Murakami opening gala at the Brooklyn Museum. I live *really* close to the venue, so basically there’s no way it was going to happen without yours truly in the house….
It was a pretty cool event, full to the brim with Francophiles and the requisite Japanese socialites. I had to snippy snap a few pix: Marc Jacobs loves the Fashion Bomb… So does Kanye (who performed!)….he was the sweetest man, even though this picture makes him look sad… And I had to take a picture with man of the hour, Takashi Murakami. We know of him for his rainbow colored Louis Vuitton bags, but he’s so much more than that. I hope all of you check out his exhibit in my backyard, the Brooklyn Museum. He’s so so so dope. Um. That does it! I’m gonna rest up for the weekend:) I’m a mess. Smootches!
Hey!
So today, I bring you guys yet another ‘Breaking into Fashion‘ post!
A few weeks ago, reader Kori wrote in saying, “Can you elaborate more on finding out about Fashion Event Planning or Promotions?“
Immediately, I thought of my good friend, Joresa Blount:
…a UNC graduate who does event planning and management for Tribeca Grand and Soho Grand Hotels in NYC… Working behind the scenes in a pair of fresh to death sky high stilettos, Joresa speaks to clients, draws floorplans, schedules staff, buys supplies, and sets up spaces for events ranging from movie premieres studded with stars like Madonna, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Marc Jacobs to screenings of the finales of Project Runway. She took a quick moment out of her busy schedule to tell all your aspiring event planners how to break into the system. She says, “ I became involved in event planning/management when I took an internship at the Soho/Tribeca Grand Hotels. You need hands on experience to get a job in this industry, so an internship is key….” Agness Deyn at Tribeca Grand Event
On a day to day basis, Joresa juggles quite a bit. “For fashion events, I have to deal with florists, lighting, sound, and event producers who help you come up with a concept and execute. It’s a huge production for something that can last about 20 minutes. That means the pressure is up for everything to be perfect!“ Rachel Roy, Damon Dash, Madonna, and Guy Ritchie at screening at Tribeca Grand
While partying with Marc Jacobs is cool, she admits, “The hours vary week to week, and can be extremely long.” Still, she says, “I get instant satisfaction from a job well done. It’s nice to know when your guest has had an amazing time because their event was flawless.” She adds, “Plus the gift bags are always great!“ Zoe Kravitz at recent Tribeca Grand Event
To be an event planner, you must be, “ detail oriented, a good listener, and someone who can make quick, sound decisions under pressure. Creativity doesn’t hurt!” Also, “Make sure you look fabulous. It’s definitely an industry where looks are important!” she says, “Yes, it gets hard to run around in 4″ heels, but you got to do it. This is what makes things look glamorous!“
Alright! Any future event planners in the house?
Smootches!
Hey!
So striped garments have been around since the first French sailor donned a navy blue and white combo on the seas of the Riviera. The nautical look is still de rigeur these days, popping up in multicolored variations on some of our favorite celebrities:
Keyshia Cole looks patriotic in a red, white, and blue striped top with jeans…
Amerie goes sassy in a green striped summer ready dress…. Pre baby J.Lo shines in a chevron striped trapeze dress worn with boots… And around the way girl Mary J goes traditional with a horizontal striped turtleneck with jeans and fur trimmed boots… While you can’t go wrong in most occasions, I’d advise against wearing striped tops and bottoms together… …though with enough pinache, you can pull anything off!
Gain your stripes with the following tops: Top Row: Sailor Sweater, $18, www.laredoute.com; Wesc Pia Drawstring T, $95, www.urbn.com.
Bottom Row: Tommy Hilfiger Striped Crewneck Sweater, $54.50, www.macys.com; Butterfly Tee in Pearl, $79, CoutureCandy Go flirty in these affordable dresses:
So Danity Kane has been blowing up lately with their album release and the finale of ‘Making the Band.’ With tons of recent group appearances, I figured….what better time to take a look at their style?
The girls go for seasonal orange and cream cocktails for their album release party in Las Vegas…
…then worked the short hems yet again in rainbow colored dresses of frothy pink, yellow, black and coral for their NYC album release… …they shine in all white for a TRL appearance…. …and stick with the monochromatic look with S&M inspired black gear for another appearance at TRL… While most occasions call for a club appropriate look, these girls can mix it up, opting for more casual duds of leather jackets, floral print tops, denim, and track jackets for a signing at Best Buy…
Hot!
A mixture of saucy and sultry, the girls are apt style ambassadors. They’re on point with all the trends for our set: short shorts, skinny jeans, stilettos, and alluring thigh skimming dresses.
Want their look?
Get an Orange Crush Danity Kane Essence with the following:
*So I’ll admit, I’m a huge fan of Danity Kane! My favorite songs are ‘Hold me Down,’ ‘One Shot,’ and ‘Take it Further.’
Their new song, ‘Damaged’….
…is growing on me.
*Do y’all remember Diddy’s first girl group, Dream? I liked them too (Their song “This is Me (Remix)” is still on my ipod). Wonder whatever happened to them….maybe they could’ve used a reality show???
A blast from the past, just for fun:
Seems they have a Donnie look a like rapping. I smell a formula!
Oh, and anyone else confused why Diddy is all up in the video…dancing in the video…rapping in the video? Guess that was a long time ago.
*Get Nia Long’s red carpet look…
..with this $348 Marc by Marc Jacobs Night Blossom Dress from www.net-a-porter.com.
*WWD reports that Fashion Bomb favorite Kimora Lee Simmons (or is that Honsou?) will debut a teen targeted line in JC Penney stores. Guess the name? You got it, Fabulosity. She says, “Fabulosity is all about celebrating who you are and your individual greatness–living your dream and being whatever you want to be.” All hail, Queen Kiki. [WWD]
Hey!
So every year I try to make it out to New York Urban League Young Professional’s Rebirth event…
Chock full of people of color, it’s a chance to mix, mingle, drink great wine and engage in a focused cultural event. Last year, the event featured a fashion show; this year, filmmakers of color showed shorts and drummed up interest for their feature films. I attended to catch a bit of Real Urban Professional Style, and was not disappointed! These young men looked dapper in argyle sweater vests, glasses, and blazers, while the young lady in the middle keeps cool in a belted seafoam tunic worn over footless tights. It’s spring, but baby it’s cold outside! These girls struck a balance in sleeveless dresses worn with tights and booties. This talented filmmaker, Pete Chatmon, came to the event in a sophisticated steel pinstripe blazer worn over a pink checkered shirt; his glasses are a nice touch. Chatmon, called the ‘Next Spike Lee,’ recently produced a movie called ‘Premium‘ starring Zoe Saldana, Hill Harper, and Eva Pigford. He’s definitely one to watch. Check him out and catch a preview for Premium at www.double7film.com or www.premiumthemovie.com. Hello ladies! These two beauties look cool and carefree in strapless dresses in seasonless marigold and cream. Traditional v-neck sweaters and blazers were the rule for these two young men… These young urban professionals were corporate yet cool in pencil skirts, pumps, and shift dresses in neutral colors like gray and black… And check out this showstopper! This young lady showed out in a white tuxedo worn with a ruffled black top. Amazing! I had to ask where she purchased, and she revealed the outfit was top to bottom Roberto Cavalli for H&M. If I had ever become dissuaded with H&M designer series, this outfit renewed my faith! Guess I’ll be back on line for the next one…
With that said, does Rebirth 2008 have Real Style?
Let’s get to it.
Ramona says, “I need your assistance! I’ve been trying to find some jeans and or pant’s like what Kim Kardashian wore to TRL...” “…Could you help me please?“
Sure! Looks like Kim is trying to bring the seventies back in some dark wash bell bottoms. It works! Try these: Left to Right: J Brand The Doll Bell Bottom Jeans, $209, www.saks.com; Grey Ant Welt Jeans, $286, www.tobi.com; J Brand Lovestory Bell Bottom Jean, $178, www.madisonlosangeles.com.
Next up super trendy reader Chiriga asks, “I love turquoise for the spring!“ “…Where can I find the shoes Angela Simmons has on???“
Get a Simmons look with these $128 Fauta Moretti Closed Toe Slip Ons… …from www.yoox.com.
Teagan says, “I am trying to find this dress that Genevieve Jones wore at New York’s Fashion Week…” “…I can’t find who the designer is anywhere online. Would you be able to help me? I would really like to wear something like this for my birthday coming up in April.“
Hey there! I couldn’t find the exact dress, but thought you could go with these floral print frocks to get a similar look: Top Row: Plenty by Tracy Reese Ruffled Shift Dress in Gumdrop Stripes, $339, CoutureCandy Nicole Miller Aqua Floral Swirl Silk Dress, $153, www.bluefly.com.
Bottom Row: Tibi Coral Reef Dress, $420, www.net-a-porter.com; Single Printed Satin Dress, $325, www.net-a-porter.com.
Just throw on a belt and sandals for a party ready look!
Next, Joi asks, “I was wondering if you could help me find something similar to the dress that Elise Neal is wearing…“
Not quite sure, but I’ll try my best to pop in as soon as I can!
Have amazing weekends…I’m going to look for sneakers:)
Smootches!
Fashion, News, and What Nots
*Random Hotness: Juliana Jabour Bicolor Tunic Dress, $212, shopbop.com To the Max Pleated Shirtdress, $118, www.nordstrom.com.
*Check out new store Pink Cherie (www.pinkcherie.com) for low priced look-at-me jewelry. A few picks: Left to right: Drop Earrings, $21; Diva Earrings, $25; Love Unlimited Necklace, $29.
All at www.pinkcherie.com. Bonus: Use code FashionB10 for 10% off.
*Remember, my damies….
…a men and women’s shoe store located at 238 Mulberry Street.
…and was blown away by the hot stiletto’s and flats…
…aside from being super cute and sassy, I checked the prices…and at $200 they tread the line between exorbitant and affordable.
…they were so cute sporting Armani and private label dresses! Of course I had to snap a pic for you guys…
…And yes I am wearing my red leather motorcycle jacket! See, I practice what I preach!
Go flirty in these affordable dresses:
Smootches!
